Helena Rubinstein's Miniature Rooms

In her autobiography Helena Rubinstein recalls that as a child in Poland, she, along with her sisters, would visit her grandparents' home outside the city. Stasheck, the gardener, would carve miniature furniture for the girls to play with. Thus was begun her life-long love for miniatures.

In 1891, Helena Rubinstein emigrated to Australia. In Melbourne, she opened a cosmetics salon, the start of a cosmetics empire.

Of all the art treasures she collected, the miniature rooms, whose objects are made of ivory, silver, crystal, mahogany, pewter, and more, remained her favorites. As she recounted: "Conoisseurs have traveled from many lands to see these miniature rooms, but I enjoy showing them to children most of all."